


Statistical Significance

by MiniNephthys



Category: End Roll (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 17:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8110882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: After Russell’s dream is over: that time Raymond and Walter got terribly drunk.





	

The Happy Dream Rehabilitation Program continues exactly as before, because why the hell not.

At least, that’s Raymond’s guess as to why. Dreamsend Trade employees aren’t informed of the sorts of things Dreamsend Guidance or Research employees are - it’s all ‘here’s a dream, go sell some stuff, come back before the dream collapses’. No extra information necessary.

Even so, it would be impossible not to hear what happened to the program’s first success. It’s the talk of the company. They were so close to achieving their goals with that dreamer, and then he had to go and kill himself. Such a shame.

Raymond gets a ‘good job’ from his boss for his work on Russell’s dream, and feels vaguely sick.

He’s dispatched to other dreams, but can’t muster quite the same work ethic as before, and his work ethic was already low. Yue scolds him - “you’ll get in trouble with the higher-ups if you don’t pretend to work…” - but he can tell her heart’s not in it either.

“Just give me a little while,” he says. “I’ll be good as new in a jiffy.”

The first time Raymond meets Walter in a dream after the incident, Walter’s looking… tired. “I submitted a proposal to the higher-ups that the required guilt level for success should be lowered, if we want our successes to survive,” he says by way of explanation. “They told me that one person’s actions are not statistically significant. Normally I would agree, but...”

“Feels pretty bad, waiting for more dreamers to kill themselves so you get your ‘statistical significance’?” Raymond guesses.

Walter nods.

Raymond sets a hand on Walter’s arm. “Let’s go grab a drink.”

He thought Walter would protest, but he keeps quiet and follows Raymond to the nearest bar. There are plenty of them in this dream. The dreamer was probably a heavy drinker or something - it doesn’t matter, as long as Raymond can get some alcohol to take his mind off things.

The menu’s full of drinks he’s never heard of, so he orders something random for both of them. “Drink slowly,” he says.

“I know how to drink alcohol, Raymond,” Walter answers with narrowed eyes. It’s his default expression, more or less, so Raymond doesn’t think anything of it.

The drinks, when they arrive, are a pinkish color and come in a lowball glass. Raymond takes a sip of his and immediately tastes the burn of alcohol. “Yep, that’s the heavy stuff. Cheers.” He clinks glasses with Walter’s, and starts drinking.

After the first drink, he asks Walter, “Do you ever wish you’d done something else with your life?”

“I’ve always wanted to be in research,” Walter replies, staring at his empty glass. “But… I suppose I could have researched something else. Astrophysics, perhaps. That’d be challenging enough for me.”

“I like talking to people, but I don’t like the part where they’re people who’re probably going to die, you know?” Raymond says. “Maybe I’d do better in customer service.”

“Raymond,” Walter says, seriously. “Absolutely no one enjoys customer service. You’re better off here.”

“...Yeah, you’re probably right.”

After the second drink, Walter asks, “Do you think we could have done anything for him?”

Even when under the influence of dream alcohol, Raymond realizes who he’s talking about quickly. “...I don’t like thinking about it. Nothing we can do now.”

“Regrets are meant to be reflected on to change future behavior,” Walter says. “If you don’t think about it, you’ll just let it happen again.” It would sound more profound to Raymond if Walter wasn’t starting to slur his words.

After the third drink, Raymond stands up and says, “I think that’s enough.”

“I can take one more,” Walter says. He also attempts to stand up, and succeeds in an extremely wobbly fashion.

“Nooo you can’t. Lemme get you back to your research base.” Raymond offers Walter his shoulder, which, very reluctantly, Walter leans on.

They walk in companionable silence for a bit until Walter says, “Raymond.”

“Yeah?”

“This was an acceptable diversion from research. We should do this again.”

Raymond chuckles. “You really are drunk. ...Yeah, I’d like to do this again too.”

Walter insists he can make it from the door to his bed himself, so Raymond just wishes him a ‘goodnight, don’t let the nightmares bite’.


End file.
